News archive (2007 - 06)

On Saturday, 30 June, in Klaipëda, a Closing Ceremony of the multinational exercise Amber Hope 2007 was held at the Kairiai Training Area. The ceremony was attended by Vice-Minister of Lithuanian National Defence, Mr. Antanas Valys, Commander of the Lithuanian Land Force, Officer Conducting the Exercise, Brig Gen Arvydas Pocius and other guests. The Amber Hope exercise which had been hosted by Lithuania for the eighth time so far, involved some 1,7000 military and non-military personnel from 10 NATO member states and countries co-operating with NATO under the PfP programme: Armenia, Great Britain, Estonia, the US, Canada, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, Finland, Germany, as well as representatives from NATO multinational headquarters.

Following the order of Regional Commander West commanders of subordinate PRT's have to visit their counterparts and familiarise with their structure, activity and activity priorities, decision-making procedures, process of provincial development, and security situation. Such practise is meant to stimulate cooperation of separate PRTs and experience transfer. Regional Command West has four subordinate provincial reconstruction teams – of Ghowr, Farah, Badghis, and Herat.

On June 27 in the National Defence Ministry the new Austrian Defence Attaché Andreas Mempör will be accredited to Lithuania. Brigadier Generol Manfred Sulzgruber who has finished his service in Lithuania will be awarded National Defence System medal For Merit.

Military Representative of Lithuania for NATO and the EU Brigadier General Edvardas Mazeikis will come into office as Doyen of NATO Military Committee from July 1.
The Doyen is the highest authority in the Committee. He chairs the Committee meetings in the absence of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman. There are many more organisational and representative functions the Doyen performs.

Soldiers of the Lithuanian-led Afghanistan Ghowr Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT-5) completed one of the quick impact projects on June 24 and handed over 12 new motorbikes for the Ghowr police in order to increase their mobility and shorten their emergency response period.

The first Georgian Defence Attaché Maj. Lela Chikovani was accredited to Lithuania on June 26 at the Ministry of National Defence. Residing in Vilnius she will be also be accredited to Latvia, Estonia and Poland. Maj. L.Chikovani is the only woman among the 30 defence attachés currently accredited to Lithuania.

Soldiers of the Lithuanian led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT-5) spent the St. John's Night singing Lithuanian songs and dancing around the St. John's bonfire they had lit. „One two three Lithuania is pretty" the men sang so powerfully that it overwhelmed the annoying dust and other sounds.

Commander of the Armed Forces General Major Valdas Tutkus will depart for Croatia on an official visit on June 27.
Gen. Maj. V. Tutkus is going to Croatia on invitation of General Josip Lucić, Commander of the Croatian Armed Forces.

Thirty persons with the names Jonas, Janis, Jans, John, Janus, Ivan became the most important participants of the exercise Amber Hope 2007 on Saturday, 23 June. On the eve of St. Jonas' Day (in Lithuanian: Joninës), more than 1,000 military personnel representing 10 countries took part in the St. Jonas' Day festivities specially organised for them at the Kairiai Training Area. During the festivities 6 Lithuanian, 8 Latvian, 9 British, 1 Polish, 3 Canadian, 2 Finnish and 1 Estonian personl was honoured with oak wreaths.